Method of forming bracket units



y 17, 1951 R. H. WRIGHT E-r AL 2,560,186

METHOD OF FORMING BRACKET UNITS Filed Dec. 27, 1948 IIIIIA VIII. 7

, INVENTORf F15. 5 ,27; 7/65 227 Patented July 17, 1951 2,560,786 METHODOF FORMING BRACKET UNITS Richard H. Wright, Cleveland, Ohio, and DouglasG. Haight, Chicago, Ill., assignors to The Guarantee SpecialtyManufacturing Company,

Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation Application December 27, 1948, Serial No.67,516 V This invention pertains to the art of producing brackets, andparticularly bracketstructures such as employed for supporting Venetianblinds upon windowfframes, or the like. The invention involves a novelmethod of die stamping and forming brackets of the class referred to.

Incarrying out the invention it is contemplated to produce brackets ofintegral form with mountblank in the nature of a continuous strip may befed to appropriately constructed dies, so that the latter may act on thestrip material in progressive step operations to punch the material,pressv outcertain part thereof, and bend certain parts into theirinterlocked final condition of use. A special saving of material isaccomplished also by the method of this invention in that practically noscrap metal is wasted in the production of brackets by the process ofthis invention.

A full understanding of this invention will be had upon referring to thefollowing detail description of the processing operation in conjunctionwith the accompanying drawings, and in the latter:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a metal blank in strip form showingcertain of the progressively 1 Claim. (Cl. 113-116) effected operationsthereon leading to the final operations of bending certain parts of thebracket means into mutually reinforcing interlocking disposition, andthe cutting off of the final bracket completed.

Figure 2 shows the condition of the bracket when the back and topmounting flanges have been bent to assume their final angulardisposition in relation to the bracket body.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the bracket as when the same has beenbent to its final condition respecting all parts thereof, and theinterlocking of the top mounting flange to the body is completed.

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken about on the line 4-4 of Figure 3,and

line 6-6 of Figure 3, looking in the direction of the arrows, theFigures 4, 5, and 6 being generally fragmentary views.

First referring to Figure 1 of the drawings, it will be noted, aspreviously indicated, that it is contemplated to punch, out, and bendasingle strip of material generally designatedat' A in order to formbracket units of the invention, and, as seen in the above mentionedfigure, said strip comprises three bracket units in progressive statesof formation, said units generally designated as B, C, and D.

For an understanding of the method of this invention, Figures 2 and 3will be now referred to for a description of the constructionof thebracket unit as to the various portions thereof which are punched, out,pressed, and bent in the progressive die operations upon the stripofmaterial A, performed in the carrying out of the process of manufacture.The bracket structure of Figure 3 is the completed structurefa'nd thatshow-n in Figure 2 is partially completed. The

bracket unit may be said to comprise the body I formed with the screwreceiving openings 2 so that the body I may be screwed directly to theframe of a. window, the screws at the openings 2 forming what is termeda side mounting means. The body I is also formed with an opening 3 whichis adapted to receive a pivot provided by a suitable rivet and whichpivot will hold in place on the bracket body I a facia board clip orsupporting member of the type' such as known in the art and not forminga part of the invention. Asmall pressed down projection 4 is likewisepressed from the metal of the body I and provides an interlock memberfor the facia board clip previously referred to, not shown. One of thelonger edges of the approximately rectangular body I of the platestructure is provided with a back mounting flange 5 which flange is bentat right angles to the plane of the body and is formed with a pluralityof screw openings 6, four in number. At the angle of the joinder of theflange 5 with the body- I there are formed indentations 1 of the metalfor providing what may be characterized as small bracing webs. Alsopressed inwardly from the outer'face of the back mounting flange 5 is a.projection 8 which is employed to perform a locking function, saidprojection terminating adjacent to a slot 9 in the blank of material,which slot is located at the angle of connection of the parts 5 and I.The projection 8 is deflected from the inner side of the flange 5 andslants slightly from the inner face or side of the flange withincreasing depth in the direction of the body I and its terof the bodyI. from the body I at right angles thereto so as to xoverlie the lockinglugs minal inner end is slightly spaced from the body to form a lockingedge 8a. This locking edge cooperates with a head bar shelf andsupporting member, not shown, but used in conjunction with the bracket.

In conjunction with the back mounting flange 5 it is noted that there isemployed a top mounting flange Ill which is virtually an integralextension of the end of the flange 5 near the adjacent corner of thebracket body I. member In is an integral extension of the member 5 andis formed with a plurality of screw receiving openings II to enableattachment of the top mounting flange ID to the top of a window framewhen the bracket unit of the invention is to be supported in this mannerfor in turn supporting the Venetian blind unit which to be carriedthereby and hung from the top of the Window frame. As seen best inFigure 1, the top mounting flange I is formed with a ':hook lug near itsfree end and a second locking liig slightly 'spacedfrom the said hooklug, these lugs being designated l2 and 13 respectively.

The lugs 13 are pressed inwardly from the plane iof the outer face ofthe flange ID was to lie in a plane depressed from said outer face ofthe .lflange I0 about the thickness of the metal of the flange. Thepurpose of the parts l2 and l3fwill. appear shortly hereinafter.

: .At its'end adjacent to the location of the back amounting flange 5and the top mounting flange ID the body plate I is extended to providewhat Literm :an attachment flange It, the joinder of which with the bodyI is weakened by a series of slots I5 opposite which the metal of theflange is depressed or pressed out of the plane of the body metal adistance approximately the thickness of'said metal in its plateformation,

whereb'y to provide the depressed webs l6 that virtually form recessesin the outer face of the flange M.

When, the flange 5 is bent atright angles to thebody l of the bracketunit, the flange l0 ,previously bent at right angles to the flange 5,-will be swung into a positionat right angles to the adjacent end edgeof the body I with the locking lugs l2 and I3 lying perpendicular inrespect to the plane of the inner face or side Thereupon the flange I4is bent l2 and 13 depressed from the plane of the top mounting flangel0,

-"whereby the body of the hook lug I2 will-lie at 'the inner face of themetal and against such inner face of the metal from which the attachmentflange I4 is made at the point generally indicated at as between the twodepressed web portions [6 more remote from the flange 5. Likewise, thelocking lug l3 will occupy a'similar position in respect to theattachment flange floccupying the space between the two depressed webportions l6 more adjacent to the flange '5. When the lug I2 is in theposition previously referred to,'its lateral hook portion l-2'a, willlie in the plane of the depressed web 'part'1-6 at the inner sidethereof as seen in Figure 3, shown better in the section of Figure 4,

so as to become-interlocked against outward swinging movement of the topmounting flange 1 10. The hook portion of "the lug I2 is' designatedl2a.

Thus it will be seen'that when the flange 5 --with the flange H! isswung to a right angular position in respect to the plane of the bodyplate I, the flange ID will likewise be positioned at The 'marked C inFigure 1.

4 the same angle to the end edge of the plate or body I. Thereafter,when the attachment flange I4 is bent to a position right angularlyrespecting the body I and at the outer side of the lugs l2 and [3, saidlugs will become interlocked with the portions [6 of the flange I4 in amanner previously described, ,whereby the flanges fl] and 5 Willmutually reinforce each other in supporting whatever parts are loadedthereon in the mounting of the Venetian blind unit upon a bracket unitof the type of our invention.

This now brings .us to the method of actuually forming the flnalcompleted bracket as seen in Figure 3, and in describing such method,reference is first made to Figure 1 of the drawing.

It will be assumed that the strip of material such as flat metal will befed to a series of progressive dies for operating on sections of thestrip, which sections will ultimately become,

when finished, the completed bracket 'unit' of the present invention.The strip A as seen in Figure 1 will be fed in the direction of thearrow, the first die operating thereon will punch the twelve holes, 6,2, 3, and H, as seen at the right "end of the strip in Figure 1.Thereupon the strip is fed forward to the next station and die and thesecond die punches out the three slots l5 previously described, slot 9,and the slots I! and I8 which will later facilitate the formation of thelocking lugs I2 and 13. The forming of the slot 9 readies the metal forthe later formation of the locking or latch lug '8. The material thenpasses to the third station or die, the metal strip having been operatedon according to the showing thereof at C in Figure 1, and certainoperations areiperformed to bring the metal into the condition of thesection of the strip designated Din Figure 1. It is at-the third stationdepicted at D in Figure 1 that the top mounting flange ll] of the unit Cis out free ofthe body 1 of the bracket unit D, and the lugs l2 and I3pressed out of "the plane of the flange, in respect to the flange H) ofthe unit Also, at this third -Sta-- tion the latch or lug 8 is pressedto "offset it from the plane of the flange 5, and the top mountingflange Ill of the unit D is bent at right angles to the bodytplate ofsaid unit D. At this third station also the parts [6 of the flange M arepressed from the plane of the body of the unit D to provide theformation as shown at the left end of the strip of material as seen inFigure l.

The bracket unit is now substantially in the condition in which it isshown in section D in Figure l, and as the-strip is carried onto thefourth station and'fourth die the final bending and interlocking ofcertain portions of the unit are performed. It is here at thisfourth-station that the bending die actsupon the back mounting flange -5and bends the same to a position at right angles to the plane of thebracket body. This action simultaneously carries the previously bent oiltop'mounting flange lg to the position in -which it is shown in Figure2, along with the flange 5-. When the parts are in the condition "ofFigure 2 by the bending operation of the die at station 4, andsubsequently to such bending action of the die of one of the diesections comes into action and bends the attachment flange l4 from itscondition shown in Figure 2 to the posii2 and 13 with certain portionsof the flange 14 intermediate and adjacent to the slots I5, or certainof the latter.

Thus it is that at station 4 the die mem-- bers operating upon the unitD as seen in Figure 1 will perform the final bending and interlockingoperation, the latter particularly respecting the flanges 5 and I0, andsimultaneously cut off the bracket units along the edge line I9 at oneend, fully completing the structure of said unit ready for assembly, asan integral or single bracket body, with such other parts as may berequired to be applied to same when in use, in the manner shown in ourPatent #2,515,057 dated July 11, 1950.

Summarizing, therefore, it will be seen that the bracket unit iscompletely punched, and formed and/or bent, in four stages of operationwith suitable dies at such stations, The first section or unit, aspunched like section B of the strip of metal, will not have the flangeI9 which is always out out of a previous section, and will therefore bethe only waste portion of the material, aside from the punchings of theholes or slots which are entirely negligible. The manner of die bendingthe flange 5 from a side edge portion of the strip that is in alignmentwith the extending flange section I0, and interlocking the flanges. 5and it, provides a bracket unit of utmost rigidity and avoids theseparate operation of mechanically uniting the usually separately formedflange It, as commonly practiced, not to mention the advantage derivedfrom the material reinforcement between parts 5 and Ill.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

The method of forming a bracket unit of the class described, whichincludes successively partially blanking out a strip of sheet metal toprovide bracket body sections having a portion along a side edge thereofextending into the next preceding bracket body section to provide foreach section an extension forming a top mounting flange section havingan outer longitudinal edge continuing the adjacent outer longitudinaledge of the body of its body section, forming lock lugs on the inneredge of said extension flange sections, severing each extension flangesection from the preceding body section, bending the said extensionflange section at a right angle to its body section, forming lock lugreceiving elements at the end edge of each bracket body section adjacentto its extension flange for receiving said lock lugs, and then bending aportion of the body of each body section aligned with its extensionflange section at a right angle to the bracket body section to carry theextension flange section at its inner edge into a position beneath thebracket body section, bending the end of each bracket body sectionhaving the lock lug receiving elements into overlying relation withrespect to the adjacent lock lugs of the respective extension flanges sothe lock lug receiving elements are interlocked with the extensionflange lock lugs, and severing the bracket body section from the strinof sheet metal.

RICHARD H. WRIGHT. DOUGLAS G. HAIGHT.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 292,606 \Vilson Jan. 28, 1884666,918 Butz Jan. 29, 1901 976,914 Rex Nov. 29, 1910 1,873,720 PikerAug. 23, 1932 2,033,809 Beck Mar. 14, 1936 2,335,292 Messenger Nov. 30,1943 2,384,475 Lang Sept. 11, 1945 2 515.067 Wright July 11 1950

